Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Georgia: 31 animals, 2 children removed from ‘deplorable' house

GEORGIA -- When police responded to the address on an anonymous "animal and unsafe conditions" complaint, they spoke to residents and found the residents living inside the house and a small camper trailer in the driveway. The camper has been condemned, police said.

The Hogansville Police Department seized 31 animals from the home located at 4783 Mountville Road, in Hogansville, Ga., Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to the filth and human feces, there were pigs, cats, hamsters, rats, rabbit, chicken, cats, dogs, turtles inside and outside the home, police said.

“I've been in public service for 20 years, and I've been in all aspects–fire, EMS, the prison system and police, combined with 13 years of military. This is the worst house I've ever walked in. Ever. I cannot describe to you the smell, the condition of this home,” Sgt. Jeff Sheppard said.

Walking into the house, Sheppard said, was like walking into the middle of a spider web.

Police requested back up from Hogansville Public Works, Troup County, Marshals Department, LaGrange animal Control and the Troup County Fire Department.

When authorities entered the home, they had to wear air tanks and protective clothing because of the smell and conditions inside. The water had been turned off weeks ago, at the residents’ request, because of a possible water leak. There was a large amount of human waste and trash, both inside and outside, and may be due to the leak.

“There are literally thousands of spiders… roaches, other bugs, we found human feces, human and animal, strung throughout the house.”

“It really is heartbreaking,” Sheppard said. “What really concerned us is mangled in all of this were children's toys, high chair, crayons.”

There was not adequate food, he said, and there were open containers of alcohol within reach of the children, and a 5-gallon bucket filled with human feces.

The Troup County Department of Family and Children Services took the 2-year-old and 7-month-old into protective custody.

Brandi Pybus-McCoy, 41, Nicholas Luciano, 29, Eamantha Crain, 22, and Zachariah McCoy, 22, all of Hogansville, Ga., were charged with two counts of first-degree cruelty to children, two counts of deprivation of a minor, and one charge of unlawful dumping of human waste.

According to police, the grandparents had been renting the house for several years and the younger couple and children, moved into the camper several months ago.

The four suspects turned themselves in Wednesday afternoon at the Troup County Sheriff's Department.